Cycles of Learning: Curriculum Background

Are you a high school teacher?

Looking for an innovative, comprehensive ecology curriculum?

Read on, and check out our lesson plans!

What is Cycles of Learning?

Cycles of Learning is a 16-week ecological science unit for high school classrooms. The curriculum uses scientific inquiry techniques to explore ecological concepts and local ecosystems. Students are thus able to guide their own discovery and learning while completing a curriculum that meets state (WA and OR) and national benchmarks. The Cycles of Learning curriculum has three primary goals:

• To increase high school students' understanding of ecological concepts
• To familiarize students with their local ecosystems
• To give students the opportunity to teach ecological concepts to younger students
  

Universal Ecological Concepts

Through Cycles of Learning, students complete 2-3 week units focused on Ecosystems, Interactions, Energy Flow, Cycles, Change, and Stewardship. The Cycles of Learning curriculum focuses on the same basic concepts that are introduced in the Gorge Ecology Institute's upper-elementary curricula, SECRETS of our Forest/Shrub-Steppe Home. Through an in-depth study of their local ecosystem, students learn how universal ecological concepts such as interdependency, energy flow, and cycles apply in their own backyards.

Learning through Teaching

Each unit culminates in a service-learning project in which high school students teach the concept that they have just learned to a younger class. This emphasis on teaching has a number of benefits, both for the high school class and the larger community: By sharing their knowledge with others, high school students are able to reinforce concepts, resulting in better understanding and recall. Teaching experience gives high school students increased confidence and communication skills. Elementary students in turn are inspired and intrigued by classes taught by "cool" older students, and as a result have renewed interest in the study of science. Finally, stewardship is a central component of the Gorge Ecology Institute's educational programs, and this curriculum allows students to embark on a unique service-learning project. By acting as additional instructors, high school students can help bring the Gorge Ecology Institute's acclaimed SECRETS curriculum to additional classrooms, thereby using their knowledge to directly impact the education of their community as a whole.

Science Inquiry and the Scientific Method

The curriculum is designed with a weekly format based on the scientific method:

Monday: Wonder
Students brainstorm, become acquainted with new ideas, and ask questions.
Tuesday: Explore
Whether through outdoor exploration, internet searches, or controlled experiments, students are encouraged to delve into a topic and begin gathering information.
Wednesday: Identify
Students begin to sort through and interpret data.
Thursday: Organize
Students analyze results and prepare for teaching or presentations.
Friday: Share
Students share what they have learned with others.
This day takes two basic formats: Some weeks, students visit a classroom of younger students, and share their knowledge in a formal lesson. Other Fridays, students participate in a round-table discussion (rearrange classroom setup if necessary). The round-table is a format to check-in on ongoing projects, give formal presentations, and discuss ramifications of what they have learned throughout the week.

This format encourages students to continually question their surroundings and take the necessary steps to answer these questions, enabling student-directed learning. Teachers are encouraged to make this format an explicit part of their classes, rather than a hidden strategy that simply motivates lesson planning. For instance, teachers can hang a color-coded card with the appropriate prompt (Wonder, Explore, etc.) on the appropriate day. To further facilitate scientific inquiry, guiding questions are provided for each lesson, and can be used to frame classroom discussion and to direct student learning.

Join our Team

If you are interested in teaching the full curriculum, please contact the Gorge Ecology Institute at info@gorgeecology.org or (541) 387-2274 so that we may provide you with additional support, program background, and lesson materials. We would be happy to include your school in our Cycles of Learning partnership. While our curricula are written with Oregon and Washington state benchmarks and ecosystems in mind, they are easily adjusted to other states due to their emphasis of basic, universal ecological concepts.

The Gorge Ecology Institute would like to thank the Charlotte Martin Foundation for their generous support of the Cycles of Learning program.

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